Alyce
by Purple Roses and Rainy Nights
Summary: Alyce is a sixteen year old girl who is kidnapped from her home by the evil Mad Hatter. Now she's trapped in a horror filled Wonderland, and must figure out how to survive in this crazy world without geting killed. Story a lot better than it sounds.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I have redone this chapter, as I will be doing with all the others. I hope you like it!**

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><p>Alyce woke with a start, jolting upright in her bed. Her dark brown hair clung to her sweat covered forehead, her ice blue eyes wide with terror and confusion. She couldn't remember what had woken her up, but a haunting tune echoed in the back of her mind. Must have been a nightmare, the young girl thought.<p>

Attempting to shake the feeling of uneasiness off, Alyce climbed out of bed and headed downstairs for a glass of water. She entered the kitchen, her long, dark hair flowing behind her as she played with the lace of her white nightgown, when she saw something odd out of the corner of her eye. There, sitting on the kitchen table, was a black, stuffed rabbit, wearing a blood red vest with white trim, and a large white bow tied around its neck. In its lap, was a gold pocket watch. Alyce, being a curious 16 year old, lifted the rabbit and tucked it under her arm. She then grabbed the ornate watch, admiring the intricate design on the front. She opened the cover, and that terrible haunting tune from her nightmare filled the air around her.

Fear filled Alyce, and menacing laughter soon mixed with the song. Suddenly, a gloved hand covered Alyce's mouth, muffling her growing cries. She tried to move back from the hand, but an arm wrapped solidly around her waist. She was pressed against a hard chest, and Alyce turned her head in an attempt to see her captor. She expected a man in a black ski mask, but rather, she was met with a man in a ratty top hat. He had chin length, shaggy blood-red hair, and brown eyes filled with an insane malice. His mouth was stretched into an almost Cheshire cat grin, and that too, was filled with bad intentions. He looked like an evil mad hatter.

Alyce thrashed and let out muffled screams into the hand that was covering her mouth. The girl's resistance caused the crazed man to chuckle as he tightened his hold. A large hole formed beneath them. Long chains shot out and wrapped around the pair, only fueling Alyce's panic. Unable to take anymore, Alyce lost consciousness. The man's grin got impossibly wider, and the chains dragged the two of them down into the black abyss, his evil laugh echoing off the walls of the house. But no one woke, and the only proof that anything out of the ordinary ever happened was the stuffed rabbit, lying sprawled on the kitchen floor.

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><p><strong>Please Review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**So here is the reconstruction of the second chapter. I hope you all like it. I have been working really hard.**

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><p>A soft groan escaped Alyce's lips as her eyes fluttered open as she felt confusion cloud her thoughts. She couldn't see anything, but she could feel the softness of bed sheets around her. She could also feel something uncomfortable wrapped around her throat. She reached up to feel the object in question, and her eyes widened as she realized it was a collar. Alyce began to panic as the events of the previous night flooding her mind. Just as her breathing began to return to normal, a sudden, almost blinding light illuminated the room. She bolted upright, shielding her teary eyes from the light and immediately caught sight of the crimson-haired, mad hatter man who had kidnapped her. His face was twisted into the same malicious grin, and she heard him chuckle at the frightened expression on her face.<p>

"Please," she whimpered, struggling to keep her voice calm. "What do you want from me? Who are you? Why am I here?" The questions fell from her mouth before she could stop them. The mad hatter man threw his head back and laughed. It was a booming laugh that resounded off the walls of the bedroom. She shrank back, eyes wide and tears of fear pouring freely down her face, despite her efforts to stay mad hatter's laughter died down, and he turned to look at Alyce again.

"Why, you're here because I want you to be, dear Alyce."

His voice was smooth and deep, but it still had a psychotic undertone to it. He moved towards her, his steps deliberately heavy and slow. She tried to lunge off the bed, but found that the collar around her throat was chained to the wall. She could barely move three feet without being hatter-like-man wrapped his hand in Alyce's thick dark hair, and yanked her back. She screamed and tried to fight him, but her efforts were pointless; he was significantly stronger than her. He held her down, that smile still on his face. He covered her mouth with his gloved hand, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"As for who I am, well," he paused, his Cheshire cat grin stretching even wider, "I'm the bloody Mad Hatter. Welcome to Wonderland."

~LINE BREAK~

Alyce sat on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she struggled to regain her composure. The mad hatter had left hours ago, but she was still unable to calm down. The sound of her hiccups and sobs resounded off the walls. After a few minutes, Alyce was able to compose herself a bit more and

lifted her head. Through puffy red eyes, she looked around the room she was being held in for the first time.

Black and red seemed to be a theme throughout the room. The bed she was lying on had black silk sheets and a blood red duvet. There was a canopy made a torn black mesh material. The walls of her prison were crimson, and the ceiling was made of some kind of dark wood. The floors were also a dark wood, cherry perhaps. There was a large stone fireplace with a wooden mantle which held a glass vase filled with black and red roses. The wall that held the fireplace was lined with books. There were two crimson chairs facing the fireplace at an angle. There were three dark wood doors, one on the same wall as the bed, one to her right, and the last to her left, which she knew led out of the room. My God, the teen thought, it's as if I stepped into a story from Grimm's Fairytales.

The sound of a lock clicking echoed throughout the room, and Alyce turned towards the door on her left. The door opened to reveal a short young woman. She had short blond hair styled in a bob, and sparkling green eyes. She was wearing a rather plain maid's outfit that was reminiscent of a 1950's film. Alyce thought she looked pretty.

"Who're you?" Alyce asked, her voice small and a little rough from crying. The woman didn't respond, but turned her head and looked at Alyce. " What's wrong? Can't you talk?"

The woman shook her head, and opened her mouth to show that her tongue had been cut out. Alyce's eyes widened in horror.

"D-did he d-do th-that to y-you?" Alyce stuttered, fear lacing her voice. The woman maintained an expressionless mask, and nodded a yes. Tears welled in Alyce's eyes, both in fear for herself and pity for the poor woman, but she forced them back. The woman moved towards Alyce and undid the chain connected to the collar. She took Alyce by the arm and led her to the door on the same wall as the bed. The maid opened it to reveal a very large and very white bathroom. It was so white it was almost blinding. She nuged Alyce in and pointed to a huge tub. She then turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Alyce took the hint and moved over to the tub. She turned the fancy gold fixtures to get the right temperature. She bathed quickly, reluctant to leave to warm water, but she did not want to keep the mute woman waiting. She got out and wrapped a large gold towel around herself, not finding the nightgown she'd worn earlier anywhere. Gold and white seemed to be the theme for this room.

Alyce walked out of the large bathroom to find the short mute woman walking out of the door to the right, with what appeared to be a dress draped over her arm. The maid motioned for Alyce to come over, and she obeyed. She brought Alyce over to the door on the right and into the room, which turned out to be a closet/dressing room. In it were hundreds upon hundreds of clothes, mostly dresses.

The woman led Alyce in front of a three-way mirror in the corner of the closet, and helped her into the dress she had grabbed. When she was finished, she stepped back and turned Alyce towards the mirror. Alyce was shocked, she had never seen anything so beautiful in her entire life. The dress was a pale blue, almost like the sky on a really sunny day, and had black lace trim. The bodice was tight, and the skirt fanned out about the waist. It looked like something from the Victorian Era.

The short mute woman led Alyce out of the closet and back into the bedroom. She sat Alyce on the edge of the bed and began to brush her hair. The strokes of the brush calmed Alyce, and she was perfectly relaxed by the time the woman was done. This calm didn't last long, however, for when the woman put the brush down, the door to the bedroom slammed open.


	3. Chapter 3

A flash of brown and orange flew past, hiding behind the mute maid. It was a little girl, with two rather large mouse ears and shaking violently. She had short, wavy, chocolate colored hair and honey brown eyes, which were currently wide in fear. She had on an orange knee length dress with short yellow sleeves and two yellow pockets. On her feet were black Mary-Jane's and yellow ankle socks. A curly looking brown tail hung between her legs. She was the cutest little girl Alyce had ever seen, but what could have scared her so much? Alyce was about to go over to the small mouse girl, when a deep voice stopped her.

"Oh Del-i-lah. Where are you? Come on out now, don't make this harder than it needs to be," the voice called, and the small mouse girl, apparently named Delilah, whimpered. A chuckle could be heard, but it was different than the Mad Hatter's. Alyce couldn't explain how, but it was just as frightening. Loud footsteps echoed through the hallway and into the bedroom, increasing in volume as they got closer to the trio. A figure entered the doorway, but he certainly wasn't what Alyce was expecting. She had been expecting a tall, bulky man. Instead, there in the doorway was a tall, fit man with...cat ears? There fixed onto his head and surrounded by a mess of vibrant purple hair, were a set of cat ears a shade lighter than his hair. His eyes were different colors, the right one a vibrant green, the left a shining gold. His grin could outmatch the hatter's any day. He was wearing a black and white checkered hoodie, which covered a dark purple t-shirt. A pair of dark loose jeans hung around his waist, with various chains and safety pins decorating them. His feet were clad in heavy combat boots. His physique was similar to that of the Mad Hatter's, but he was slightly thinner, almost lanky. His multi-colored eyes left little Delilah and focused on Alyce. His grin, if possible, got even wider.

"Well, well. What have we here? You must be Jack's new little toy," he remarked, and snickered at Alyce's confused expression. Who is Jack? Is Jack the Mad Hatter? Toy? I'm a toy? Alyce felt the color drain from her face at this cat man snickered again. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. Alyce looked around frantically, and yelped when she felt arms snake around her waist. She struggled, but to no avail, and her fear only fueled his amusement.

"Aww, come on now," he purred,"I won't bite. Much." Tears pricked Alyce's eyes as she struggled harder, her fear spiking and becoming harder to control.

"Cheshire."

All movement stopped. No one even dared to breathe. There, in the doorway, stood the Mad Hatter. But he wasn't wearing his usual grin, or even a smirk. No, his mouth was pulled down in a grimace, and his eyes portrayed a great fury. Alyce had never been more frightened in her entire life. She held her breath and tried to steel herself- she wasn't going to let him see her cry again Suddenly, the little dormouse girl bolted from her spot behind the mute maid, and over to the Hatter. She clung to his pant leg, and he put a hand on the top of her head, as if to soothe her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, cat?" His voice was strained, and he looked ready to kill someone.

"Aw c'mon Jack," the cat man, Cheshire, whined. He relaxed his tense muscles as the smug expression returned. "you won't let me have my fun with little mousy over there. Why not let me play with your new toy for a while?"

Through her panic, Alyce concluded that Cheshire probably shouldn't have said that. The entire aura of the room seemed to darken. Without warning, Jack whipped out a huge machine gun literally from nowhere. Alyce could no longer contain her tears, and began to sob out of fear. The cat man's arms fell from around Alyce's waist and he stepped away, holding his hands up in submission.

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'm gone, Jack. No need to blow my face apart." And with that, Cheshire stepped back and disappeared into thin air.

Alyce fell to her knees, sobs bubbling past her lips uncontrollably. She was shaking, and felt that she was going to be sick. She was crying so hard, so caught up in her fear, that she didn't hear the Mad Hatter's heavy footsteps approach her, nor did she see him kneel down in front of her, so she was very startled when she felt his hand on the top of her head, petting her hair in a calming fashion. She looked at his face, and was dumbfounded by the expression on it. His eyes were calm, and his smile was gentle. There were still traces of insanity in the depths of his eyes, but the calm gentleness overpowered it for the time hatter continued petting her head until Alyce was completely calm. Her sobs quieted to small hiccups, and her shaking decreased to a minor shiver. Jack said nothing, only smiled as little Alyce calmed. Everything was silent, until Delilah suddenly spoke up.

"Hey Jack?"

"Hmm," the Hatter responded, turning his head slightly to address the small child.

"I'm sleepy," she said, and upon looking at the girl, Alyce could see that she was exhausted. Her eyes were drooped and she was slouched over, with one of her tiny fists rubbing her eyes. It was as if the entire Cheshire ordeal didn't just happen.

"Sophia," Jack said, as he turned to face the mute maid, whom Alyce had temporarily forgotten existed, "take Delilah and put her down for a nap. Now."

His tone was harsh, but Alyce didn't really notice as she was tired as well. The mute maid, Sophia, nodded and took Delilah by the hand, leading her out of the room and shutting the door behind them. Once they were gone, Jack turned his full attention back to Alyce, who was half dead with exhaustion. He chuckled, and scooped her up in his arms, bridal style. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down, then fastened the chain around her collar once more. Alyce couldn't process any real thought, all she knew was that the bed was extremely inviting. As she drifted to sleep, she missed the insanely evil look that took over the hatter's face once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**AANNND here's chapter four updated and beautiful. I hope you all like it. I've been workning really hard, but I sprained my knee and had to get surgery, so Alyce has been on hold for a bit. Anyways, enjoy!**

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><p>The first thing Alyce noticed when she woke again was that she was sore and stiff from sleeping so long. The next thing was that her face hurt. She grimaced and brushed her hand against her right cheek, where the pain was pulsating, and felt a gauzy substance covering it. Alyce attempted to remove what she assumed was a bandage, only to yelp as a large hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She froze and looked up, afraid she would have to see Jack again, but was met with someone else entirely. His wavy black hair was a mess, as if he had just rolled out of bed, and his eyes were a startling emerald green. His tattered, bloody trench coat shifted noiselessly as he took a step forward, revealing a clean dark grey shirt and nice black pants. But all of that, even the ratty coat, she hardly had time to acknowledge, because her gaze was transfixed on the two, rather large tan rabbit ears sticking out from the top of his head. The rabbit man noticed her staring and gave an undignified cough to get her attention.<br>"Rather rude to stare, don't ya think," he asked, a smirk playing on his lips and eyes swirling with malevolent intent. Alyce whimpered quietly and backed away.

"Anyway," he drawled, "I wouldn't take that bandage off just yet. Jack wouldn't like it too much, and it would hurt," his mouth pulled into a grin, "like a bitch."

"Who are you," Alyce asked, trying her hardest not to have a panic attack and burst into tears. "Why are you here? What are you gonna do to me?"

The rabbit man chuckled malevolently.

"Well, dearie," he answered, "Jack told me to keep an eye on you while he took care of...things. He specifically told me to make sure you didn't get into _any_trouble in case you woke up before he returned." The way that evil intent laced every word he said caused her to shudder. She looked up at his face again, and recoiled at the purely demonic look on his face.

Alyce tried to pull her hand away, but the rabbit man only tightened his grip. She yelped in pain and began thrashing in a desperate attempt to free herself. The rabbit man threw back his head and laughed. He was laughing so hard that he didn't see her foot shoot out, straight for his groin.

"GOD DAMMIT!"

The rabbit man immediately released Alyce, doubling over in pain, tears forming in his eyes. Alyce scrambled away from him, going as far as the chain would allow. She shook and and tried to keep herself from crying as she curled into a little ball. The rabbit man looked up and glared viciously at Alyce. He lunged towards her and wrapped his hand in her umber colored hair. He yanked her head back, ripping her long hair as he did. Alyce screamed clawed weakly at him, trying in vain to remove his hand from her hair.

"You're gonna pay for that, you little brat!"

He raised his hand to slap her. Alyce moved her hands to shield herself, crying as she waited for the blow. But it never came. Alyce peered through her bangs up at the rabbit man, only to see that his angry expression was now directed at Jack, who was holding his wrist and preventing the blow from falling. Jack held a fierce expression, as if silently warning the rabbit man to watch his step.

"What the **hell** do you think you're **doing**, Kaleb?"

Kaleb's expression immediately shifted from rage to pure fear. He gulped, and Alyce saw him shake slightly. Without turning back to face her, Kaleb slowly released his hold on Alyce's hair. She held her throbbing head and furiously rubbed the tears from her eyes, turning her attention away from the duo. _I have to get outta here, these people are crazy._She looked around, desperate to find some way out.

A sharp slap sounded through the air, jolting Alyce from her thoughts. She immediately turned to the hatter and hare. Kaleb's head was turned sharply towards Alyce, an angry red handprint on his cheek. Jack had that impossible grin again, yet his eyes held a silent fury so powerful that made Alyce sick to her stomach. The hatter wrapped his hand around Kaleb's throat, and threw him out the door, with the parting words, "I'll deal with you later."

Alyce shook violently as Jack slammed the door shut, slowly turning back to face her.

"Well, Miss Alyce," he sneered, " you seem to be causing me quite a bit of trouble. And to think that you haven't even been here a day."

Tears started streaming down Alyce's face, small hiccups escaping her throat. The hatter stalked forward, continuing as Alyce sat frozen in a petrifying fear, "First, you attract the attention of Cheshire, who is always a thorn in my side and very difficult to get rid of."

He was right in front of the bed now; he climbed on top and moved towards her. Alyce sobbed violently, positive that he was going to do something horrible. She scrambled out of his path, but Jack caught her by Alyce hair and turned her to face him. Underneath that gigantic smile, Alyce could tell he was furious; he was practically growling and his eyes held such an anger that her breath caught in her throat.

"Then," he continued, "you went and riled up Kaleb, and he's so obnoxious that if he wasn't my second in command I'd kill him. Plus he keeps that revolting Queen of Hearts away from me."

He yanked Alyce's hair harshly in emphasis. _Why does everyone keep pulling my hair,_ Alyce cried mentally, _It feels as if my scalp will rip off._She also vaguely wondered who the Queen of Hearts was.

"So perhaps, Alyce," the size of his angry grin increased, "I should lay down some rules."

With that, Jack ripped the bandage from Alyce's face, and a bloodcurdling scream tore from her throat. Jack chuckled and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face as tears of pain and fear blurred Alyce vision, leaving hot trails down her cheeks.


	5. Chapter 5

**TADA! Three chapter updates in one day! Man I am on fire! Hope you like the revisions**

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><p>Sobs sounded throughout the mansion, resonating from Alyce's room. The girl was currently curled into a little ball, rocking back and forth as she clutched her throbbing right cheek. The memories of her last encounter with the crazed hatter echoed through her mind.<p>

_~Flashback~_

_Jack tightened his grip in Alyce's hair, his smile widening at the sounds of her screams. She thrashed wildly, trying to break free, but only succeeded in pulling hair from her scalp. _

_"Please," she pleaded, "Please let me go.I didn't mean it. I'll be good, I swear-"_

_**SLAP!**_

_Alyce froze, blue eyes wide as they stared into Jack's narrowed brown ones. 'He slapped me.' Alyce head witnessed him beat other people, and the after effects of his violence (such as Sophia's inability to speak), but he had never hit her. She sat there, dumbfounded. Suddenly, she was shaking. Shaking in anger, in misery, and in fear, all rolled up into one giant, unidentifiable emotion that she was no longer able to contain._

_"Who the __**HELL**__ do you think you are!?" She screamed. "What right do you have to do this to me? I have done nothing but what I was told since waking up in this God forsaken room and you have the __**AUDACITY**__ to tell me that I'm to blame for this?! It's not my fault everyone here is completely nuts! You're nothing but a horrible-!"_

_Alyce didn't have the chance to finish her rant, as the Mad Hatter had smashed his gloved hand over her mouth, though her muffled cries of outrage could still be heard. The hatter, annoyed with the girl's angry rant, removed his fist from her hair, only to bring it crashing down to her stomach. All noise from her ceased and her eyes widened, pain filled tears forming and spilling over before she had the chance to stop them. She tried to hang onto her earlier spurt of bravery, but it was rapidly dissipating. Jack laughed at her feeble attempts at maintaining a steady glare, moving the hand from her mouth to hair once more._

_"Stupid girl," he sneered, "You don't seem to understand. I run the show here, not you. You are nothing but a pet, and I will not tolerate insubordinate outbursts such as that. You have no rights, no freedom here. I'll do what the hell I want, whether you like it or not, is that clear?" When Alyce didn't respond, he landed another punch to her gut. "__**IS THAT CLEAR!?**__"_

_"Yes," Alyce gasped out, coughing up blood as she did so. "Yes! Whatever you say!"_  
><em>Jack, pleased with the girl's response, smiled with false comfort, mocking the girl. <em>

_"That's a good girl. And know this, Alyce, no matter where you run, no matter where you hide I will always find you. And if not I, then someone else," he paused, yanking her up by her hair till she faced a black, floor-length mirror in the corner of the room, "and with one look at your face, they will know who you belong to, and drag you back kicking and screaming. After all, no one would defy the Mad Hatter." _

_Alyce stared in horror at her reflection. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes were red and sore from crying. She was hunched over clutching her stomach. But she couldn't really focus on the pain, because her eyes were glued to her right cheek. She was having trouble comprehending what she was seeing. 'This can't be can't be real. No, this isn't right. He can't do this to me.'_

_There, on her cheek, was a black spade, tattooed onto her skin. It was filled with intricate swirls, with a hollow center that held the letters "M.H." in a crimson, gothic looking calligraphy. 'Mad Hatter,' she realised. She began to tremble, finally comprehending the Hatter's words. The collar around her throat meant nothing now, because one look at this mark would tell everyone who she belonged to. Who OWNED her. She was too shocked to even cry. She could only stare at the mark in horror as Jack laughed wildly as the realization that she was no longer free struck her._

_~End Flashback~_

So here she sat, trying to subdue her uncontrollable sobs once more as she clutched her throbbing cheek and held her pained stomach. After he had revealed his mark on her, he had restricted her freedom further with rules. So far, Alice was not allowed off the property under any circumstances, and she could not leave the house unless accompanied by the Hatter himself. She had to obey every order and demand without question, or she would face a punishment of Jack's choosing. To make matters worse, she had to obey Kaleb (whom Jack referred to as 'March Hare'), but when she tried to protest, Jack just punched her again, causing to cough up more blood.

Alyce abhorred Wonderland, and silently vowed to get back home, no matter the cost. But first, she had to figure out how to survive.


	6. Chapter 6

**And here is the sixth chapter redone and polished! Hope you guys like it!**

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><p>The following days passed in a dull blur. Alyce was mostly left alone in her room, the only company being Sophia when she came in to help Alyce dress or bring her food, which usually consisted of tea and cakes and cookies. Other than that, Alyce was left in solitude. Jack had left her alone as well, and for that Alyce was grateful.<p>

Yet despite this small respite away from the crazy Mad Hatter, Alyce became increasingly lonely. She craved companionship, but found that there was no one who would spend time with her. Not even Sophia, who feared her master's wrath too much to risk spending more time than necessary with the girl. She had read some of the books on the shelf, but found that they didn't make much sense to her.

The lock to the door clicked, and Alyce sat up ready to greet Sophia with a soft smile on her face. The door opened and Alyce's expression dropped, fear evident as she met the Mad Hatter's gaze. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest that it felt as if it would burst from her chest. _No_, she thought. _I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak anymore_. She gave the best glare she could muster, but Jack merely threw his head back and laughed.

"My, my," Jack sneered. "Trying to grow a backbone are we? I must say, it isn't really working." Alyce said nothing, remembering all too clearly their last encounter. She settled with a silent glare. The crazed hatter ignored her. "Anyway, my dear, we have to get you ready for tonight, so get up." Alyce immediately became confused.

"What are you talking about?"

The Hatter just smirked. Rather than provide the girl with an answer, Jack stalked over to the walk in closet, threw the doors open, and disappeared inside. Alyce tried to peer into the closet to see what the deranged hatter was doing, but the chain wouldn't let her go that far. She let out a small yelp when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to face its owner. She let out a breath of relief when she saw it was Sophia.

"Good God, Sophia," she cried. "You scared the hell out of me!"

The mute maid didn't respond, but rolled her eyes at the sixteen year old. She unhooked the chain and ushered Alyce into the bathroom. Sophia pointed at the tub, then turned and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Alyce sighed and did as the silent maid instructed. Once finished, Alyce wrapped herself in a towel and prepared to step out of the bathroom, only to freeze in horror as she remembered Jack was in the room. _Bloody hell_, she thought,_ I can't go out there. There is no way he is seeing me naked_. She walked away from the door, content to wait until he left, only to jump three feet in the air as it slammed open.

Alyce spun around, eyes wide, as Jack strode towards her in long, purposeful strides. He gripped her upper arm tightly and dragged her out of the bathroom, while she desperately clutched the bath towel to her with her free hand. She struggled in his hold.

"H-hey!" she cried, outraged by the sudden intrusion. "L-lemme go, you pervert!"

Jack said nothing, but yanked her forward harshly as they exited the bathroom. She was flung forward, and toppled to the ground as Jack released her. She landed on her butt with an oomph.

"Jerk," she mumbled under her breath. The hatter said nothing, only smirked as he turned his attention elsewhere.

"Sophia!" he barked. "Dress Alyce in the outfit I chose and fix her hair. Make sure she's ready in 20 minutes." He left the room, but not before turning back and adding, "Or else." Then he disappeared, slamming the door behind him.

Alyce shuddered. She really didn't want to know what horrors awaited her outside the room, and she wasn't sure she was ready to find out.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After much tugging and pulling (and battling the massive knots in her hair), Alyce was dressed, and sitting on the bed, reluctantly waiting for Jack. She sighed, desperately wishing that she was home. She felt tears prick her eyes. _No!_ she thought furiously, _Not now. Now is not the time for crying. Escape first, cry later_. Alyce rubbed her eyes, willing the tears away. She looked around, desperate for a distraction. She froze as she caught a look of herself in the mirror. She scowled. _Stupid Hatter_, she thought, _He could have given me a nicer dress._

The dress itself was certainly not as pretty the first. It was shorter, stopping at the knee, and was a similar pale blue color as the first. But rather than beautiful black lace, this dress came with a white apron that went over the dress. Her legs were covered in black and white striped stockings, and her feet were clad in mary-janes. Alyce thought the whole outfit made her look childish. To complete the whole ensemble, a blue bow was tied into her hair, which only furthered Alyce's dislike. She desperately wanted to change, but when she pestered Sophia on the matter, she received a sharp glare and a light smack to the back of the head. Alyce took that as a no.

Alyce jolted as a lock clicked, and snapped her attention to the door. The doorknob turned, and she prayed to a higher power that it wasn't the Mad Hatter. Evidently, they weren't listening.

Jack strolled into the room and moved towards Alyce. He reached for her arm, but she shrank away from the deranged hatter's touch. Jack glared sharply at the young girl, and harshly gripped her upper arm. Alyce let out a yelp as she was roughly dragged from the bed and, for the first time, out of the room. As much as Alyce enjoyed the change of scenery, she certainly had no desire to be anywhere near this cruel man. She struggled in his hold, praying that she would slip from his grasp and make her escape. Jack, having no patience for the girl's antics, slammed Alyce into a wall and clasped his hand around her throat.

"Listen, you little brat," the Hatter spat, "I will **NOT **tolerate your crap tonight. That means no crying, struggling, or attempts at escape." He squeezed her throat tighter. "It would benefit you to listen for once. I can guarantee that you won't like the consequences. Got it?" Alyce didn't answer, panicking from the lack of air, but did her best to muster a glare. When she didn't respond, Jack slammed her head against the wall. "**GOT IT**?!" Alyce continued to glare, but gave a small weak nod as stars danced across her vision. The Hatter released his hold, and Alyce crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

"Good girl," the Hatter cooed, his voice tender, but his expression mocking. He yanked Alyce to her feet once more, and continued to lead her down the hallway. Alyce had a difficult time keeping up with Jack's long strides. Just as Alyce got to a good pace, the Mad Hatter stopped abruptly, and Alyce crashed into him. She stumbled, but managed to stop herself from crashing to the floor. She glared up at Jack, who just smirked, and turned her attention to the large ornate doors in front of them. She looked back at Jack in confusion.

"Remember what I told you, my dear." With that, the Hatter threw the doors open, and Alyce could only stare in bafflement and horror.


	7. Chapter 7

Alyce stared in shock at the scene before her. There was so much blood. It was splattered on what was once white walls and smeared across the checkered black and white floor. Bodies were strewn about, most of them beheaded and missing limbs. Bullet holes peppered the blood drenched walls, but that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was in the center of the room, where three different tables were pushed together and covered in a red and black lace table cloth. At that table sat several different people, including Cheshire, Delilah, and Kaleb. They sat there, smiling and laughing, while having a tea party! The utter chaos that surrounded them did not touch the table. Instead, immaculate black tea cups and teapots sat perfectly atop the tables, and a shiny silver cake platters showed off a variety of sweets. Alyce felt she was going to be sick. The hatter, on the other hand, seemed delighted by the display.

"Wonderful!" Jack exclaimed. "Everyone has arrived! Shall we have tea then?" It was a rhetorical question, but Alyce still wanted to say no. She kept quiet inspite of this impulse, knowing it would only get her into more trouble. Suddenly, a woman with pink hair stood, and sauntered over towards the pair. She wore a very revealing dress, which consisted of a red corset and a long black skirt. The skirt had a slit that went all the way up to the very top of her thigh, revealing knee-high stiletto boots and fishnet stockings. A crimson heart was tattooed just above her breasts, which were pressed together tightly by the corset. Her metallic pink eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around the Mad Hatter.

"Jack, dear," she cooed, her voice soft and bell-like. "It's been such a long time. You should come to see me more often."

Alyce wanted to gag. _How could anyone be attracted to someone like him_, Alyce thought. She shivered in disgust as the pink haired harlot practically threw herself at the crazed hatter.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid I've just been so busy as of late, Valentina. I'm sure you understand, being the Queen of Hearts and all," Jack said, as he pried the Queen off of him. Apparently he didn't like it either. "Besides I've been occupied with little Alyce." A smug smile crept on his face as he gestured to Alyce, who glared back. "She's quite a handful." The Queen of Hearts looked less than enthused about the attention being directed to the small dark-haired girl at Jack's side.

"Oh yes," she sneered. Her bell like voice now contained a hard edge. "I'm sure." Alyce cringed. There was a tense silence between the three, until Jack cleared his throat.

"Yes, well, what do you say to getting this show on the road then?" It was another rhetorical question, for once the words came out of his mouth, he grabbed Alyce by the arm once more, and dragged her over to the macabre tea party. She let out a whimper as they neared their destination, her captor casually stepping over strewn body parts as they went.

The Hatter took an empty seat at the head of the table, pushing Alyce into the a plush crimson chair at his right. Alyce shuddered. She looked around the table, skipping over the familiar faces of Kaleb, Cheshire, Delilah, and Valentina, and took in the appearances of the others at the table.

The first person she noticed was sitting right next to her. Like Kaleb, he had rabbit ears, but his appearance was neater, not as scruffy as the March Hare. His hair and ears were white as snow, and his eyes were coffee colored. He wore a red plaid suit jacket, black trousers, and a white dress shirt. Alyce noticed that he kept checking the time on a golden pocket watch and sighing in a frustrated manner.

The next person Alyce observed was seated next to the March Hare, who was positioned at Jack's left. He sat rigidly in his chair, his blue hair falling neatly around his face. His silver eyes stared ahead at the Queen of Hearts who sat directly across from him. He wore a suit of armor, the kind you see in picture books with dragons and princesses, and on the front of the suit was an outline of a heart, with an axe inside. His expression was stern, and somewhat agitated, as he occasionally looked at the other occupants at the table.

The last person was seated between Delilah and Cheshire, who were towards the opposite end of the table. He had chin-length silver hair and violet eyes. He was wearing an obnoxious leather vest with several straps and buckles, and gave off a dangerous vibe. He turned towards Alyce until his expressionless eyes met hers. She quickly looked away.

"Well!" Jack exclaimed, clapping his hands together and startling Alyce. "Now that everyone's here, why don't we get down to business."

And with that, everyone's attention turned not on the Mad Hatter, but a shaking Alyce.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here it is! The long awaited chapter 8! Soon following will be chapter nine! If you guys haven't already read them, all previous chapters have been updated and improved! Alyce is on it's way once more and I hope I haven't lost anyone in while my story was under construction! PLEASE REVIEW! I APPRICIATE YOUR INPUT! Enjoy, my friends!**

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><p>Alyce shrank back into her seat as the occupants of the table turned their attention to her. She bit back a whimper and stared at the floor, her face turning a deep shade of red as she prayed a hole would open up in the floor and swallow her. <em>Oh, wait<em>, she thought, _that already happened. That's why I'm in this hell hole._

Jack cleared his throat, and, mercifully, everyone's attention went to the Hatter. Alyce bit back a sigh of relief and kept her head down, listening silently as the Mad Hatter got down to business.

"The faceless are starting up again," Jack began, his tone serious and authoritative. "Small armies of them have been going about Wonderland and burning buildings, destroying mushroom trees, and obliterating the homes of important Wonderland figures. This must be stopped before it gets too out of hand." The room hummed in agreement as Alyce sat in confusion.

"I agree," Cheshire added. "Things are getting bad. The faceless have already closed in on my territory and started destroying the surrounding area. At the rate they're going, I might have to find a new place to live."

Alyce tuned them out, their voices becoming a dull drone as her thoughts whirled inside her mind. _What are they talking about? _she wondered. _What are 'faceless', and why are they destroying things? _Lost in thought, she was unaware of the Hatter's eyes on her. Jack reached out and tugged on Alyce's hair, causing the teen to yelp in both pain and surprise.

"Bored, Alyce?" the Mad Hatter enquired, his expression cruel. Alyce bit back a whimper.

"N-no," she stuttered, unsuccessful in her attempt to keep her voice even. Jack snickered, as did the rest of the table.

"Good. I'd hate to have to find..._other_ways to keep you focused, my dear." With that, Jack released his grip on Alyce's hair, his threat echoing in Alyce's mind. She kept her head up this time, gazing around the room as she attempted to appear focused.

"Frankly, Jack," The Queen of Hearts said, "I don't see we just dispose of them all. Off with their heads, I say." Alyce shivered at her tone of voice. It wasn't cruel or malicious, but rather delighted and full of glee. It caused Alyce's stomach to twist into knots.

"Honestly, Valentina, are you that dense?" Alyce quickly turned towards to the unfamiliar voice, staring directly at silver haired man that had peered at Alyce earlier. His expression was no longer bored, but agitated. "Killing off the faceless would be the exact opposite of beneficial." Briefly, Alyce wondered if he was the only sane person here. "With the faceless gone, who would we have to torture?" _Well so much for that_. "Who would we have to do our work for us? I know for a fact that you yourself use faceless for slaves and the infliction of pain. If you beheaded them all, who would you have to do all that?" The Queen of Hearts glared viciously at the man.

"Well, I can start with you, you insufferable fool!" This comment led to an vicious argument between the two. The argument continued for several more minutes, evolving into a screaming match between the two about who was right until Jack slammed his fist down on the table.

"That is **enough**!"

The entire room fell silent. All eyes were on the Mad Hatter. Alyce gulped as she watched Jack. Gone was his poisonous grin and crazed eyes; now his expression was one of fury, viciousness, and authority. His eyes fell on each and every member of the room, as if inspecting them, until he returned his gaze back to the arguing pair.

"Now, if you two can stop bickering like three year olds, perhaps we can find an _actual_solution to the issue at hand. Valentina, Shayde is right. We cannot kill off the faceless. Rather, we must come up with a solution that will benefit us and keep those wretches in line." Valentina immediately changed her demeanor.

"Oh Jack," she cooed, rather sickeningly, "I completely agree." She leaned forward, staring seductively at the Hatter. Alyce wanted to gag, but she held it back. Shayde, however, did not, and earned a sharp glare from the Queen.

Alyce shifted slightly in her seat, feeling extremely uncomfortable in the presence of these people, and desperately wanted to be rid of these crazed lunatics and be back home. She chanced a glance at the Hatter, and immediately regretted it. The Hatter was staring directly at her, his gaze boring into hers in an unpleasant way. The frightening grin had not come back and his expression still held anger.

"You've been quiet, my dear."

Alyce suppressed a shiver and fought to remain calm in the presence of this unpredictable man.

"There's nothing for me to s-say." Her voice wavered at the end. Jack smirked, eyes flashing briefly with madness. _Damn_, she thought. _Not good._

"Is that so?"

All eyes were now on her, making the teen want to squirm. She sat as bravely as she could as she faced her captor, but her courage was quickly diminishing.  
>"Well, my dear," Jack began, "if you can't find any reason to say something, why don't I just have you...removed." Alyce gulped, audibly. The Mad Hatter smiled. "Kaleb, why don't you escort our lovely Alyce to a more...appropriate setting so we can chat."<p>

Alyce's eyes widened at Jack's words. She let out a yelp as hand painfully grasped her upper arm and dragged her from the room, tripping over strewn body parts once more. As the March Hare led the poor girl out the large double doors, the Mad Hatter turned his attention back to the others at the table.

"Now, where were we?"


	9. Chapter 9

**AND HER IT IS! CHAPTER 9! SO MANY POSTS IN LESS THAN A MONTH! You guys have been the absolute best during this whole revision, and I really appriciate your support. And I just want to take a moment to reconize the tragedy that has happened jus last Friday. Twenty seven people have died at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, including twenty children between the ages of six and seven, six teachers, and the gunman who attacked them. I live not to far from there, and it is a very scary and sad time for all of us. I just want you all to take a moment to reconize the horror of this event, and morun the loss of the twenty families who won't be having any Happy Holidays. It's all very tragic and sad, and I hope you all support the town of Newtown, and those who have suffered first hand. Any way, on with the show. Hope you like it and Have Happy Holidays!**

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><p>Alyce was shoved roughly into the room, losing her balance and falling to the ground. She let out an involuntary cry as her head hit the black and white tiled floor. She glared weakly up at Kaleb, who smirked back.<p>

"Alright, girly," the March Hare sneered, "don't do anything stupid, and don't run off while waiting for Jack. See ya." With that, the hare turned on his heel and slammed the door on his way out. Alyce sat, dumbfounded for a moment, as she tried to regain control of her thoughts. She shook her head and stood up. She glanced around the room in which she stood, taking in her new surroundings.

She was in an office. That much she could tell, due to the rather large desk at the opposite end of the room, cluttered with dozens of open books and papers. A black, high back chair with red velvet upholstery sat behind the desk.

"Oh joy," Alyce mumbled, "More red and black." She continued her observations, stunned by the walls that were lined with dozens of book shelves. A large, black leather couch was nestled in between two of the shelves, and two crimson chairs sat in front of the desk. However, the most impressive feature of the room had to be the huge window that was behind the desk. Mesmerized, Alyce walked over and looked out of the pane, getting her first glimpse of Wonderland since she arrived.

It was spectacular. The grass was greener than Alyce had ever seen, and the trees varied in color from pink to purple to yellow to blue. Giant mushrooms were all over the place, big enough for Alyce to climb and sit on. There were a few black and white checkered pathways just floating in the sky, and there was a large crescent moon that strangely resembled Cheshire's smile.

Alyce turned away from the spectacular view, only to face the incredibly messy desk. _I really shouldn't look through his things_, she thought, but Alyce was unable to help herself. Tentatively, she moved towards the desk and carefully shuffled some papers around, before she yanked her hand back. _What am I doing? If that crazy Hatter finds out he'll kill me_.

However, just as Alyce had resolved to stop going through the Mad Hatter's documents, a red folder caught her eye. Slowly, she reached out and picked up the folder. Her eyes widened as she read the words on the front. _Alyce Katherine Viktoria. Why is there a folder with my name on it here!?_ Slowly, she opened the crimson folder, and her mouth fell open in horror. Staring back at Alyce were dozens of photographs of her back home. One showed her walking home from school, another of her with her friends at the ice cream shop, and one was even of her changing in her room. Alyce felt her face flush. _That dirty pervert!_She removed all of the photos, her disgust and fear and anger growing with each one, until she came across several documents. Placing the folder on the desk, Alyce lifted the paper on top and read it with apprehension. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she read information about herself.

_Name: Alyce Katherine Viktoria_  
><em>Age: 16<em>  
><em>D.O.B: 0509/1996_  
><em>Hair: Brunette<em>  
><em>Eye Color: Blue<em>  
><em>Height: 5 feet 3 inches (1.6 m)<em>  
><em>Weight: 115 lbs (52.163 kg)<em>  
><em>Resemblance: Perfect <em>

Panic swelled inside Alyce, and she momentarily forgot how to breathe. _He knows my exact height and weight?_ _How could he know that? _Her breathing grew more and more frenzied as she stared at the paper. _Resemblance? What do I resemble perfectly?_Alyce was so lost in thought that she never heard to door open.

"Can I help you, my dear?"

Alyce's head snapped towards the door so fast it gave her whiplash. The Mad Hatter stood leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

The teen gulped audibly as the paper slipped from her hands, her eyes locked with Jack's. Alyce stood frozen with fear as the Hatter pushed away from the door and sauntered over to where she was standing. As he drew closer, Alyce regained control of her limbs and scrambled backwards, tripping as she tried to distance herself from the Mad Hatter. He chuckled as her back hit one of the book shelves. _Damn._

"What's the matter, Alyce," he drawled lazily, though Alyce could hear the anger in his voice. "What on earth could _possibly_have frightened you?" He stood over her now. "Could it be the fact that you're stuck in a room all alone with me? Or maybe that I caught you snooping through my personal belongings? Dear me, what ever could it be?" Alyce said nothing, just stood there looking up at the Hatter and tried to subdue the fear that was creeping up her spine. Jack chuckled, and slapped her so hard she went flying sideways. A loud smack was heard as her head hit the hard floor.

Alyce groaned, and spit out blood as she tried to get up. Her vision was blurred and everything was spinning. Before she had a chance to regain her senses, Jack twisted his hand in Alyce's hair and yanked her to her feet. Alyce let out an involuntary cry as the Hatter threw her into one of the bookshelves. She slammed into it so hard that several books were dislodged and fell on top of her, most landing on her already throbbing head. Tears streamed down her face. She clutched her tender head. It was warm and sticky. When she pulled her hand back, it was covered in blood. Alyce looked up at Jack with wide eyes, pure fear on her face. Gone was her attempted bravery, as well as her resolve to no longer let him see her cry. Alyce whimpered as Jack slowly stalked towards her, his grin wide and his eyes containing nothing but pure evil.

"Aww, are you scared, Alyce?" He stood over her once more, and bent low so that his face was mere inches from hers. "Scared of the big bad Mad Hatter? You should be." Before Alyce could comprehend, Jack's boot clad foot crashed down on her right hand, and the audible crunch of bones breaking filled the room. Alyce screamed in pain, tears rapidly falling down her face as the Hatter laughed. "Perhaps this will teach you not to snoop through my things, my dear." He grabbed her hair and threw her across the room once more. This time Alyce's head connected with the desk, hard. The Hatter then kicked her in the stomach multiple times, each kick harsher than the last. Black spots danced across Alyce's vision as she coughed up blood.

"Bastard," she mumbled, and then the darkness consumed her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow! We've made it up to chapter 10! This so exciting! Alright, a moment of seriousness. This story is being published into an actual book. I am holding a contest to see who can submit the best cover art, and I will use it as the cover to my book. If you are interested, please send your submission to my inbox here. If it doesn't work and you still want to send it in, message me and I will give you another option! I hope you guys will submit! May the best artist win! Now, on with the story! **

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><p>Alyce groaned as awoke. Disoriented, she tried to sit up, only to hiss as a sharp pain spread throughout her abdomen. Alyce whined as the events of last night flooded her memory, increasing the pounding in her head. Slowly, Alyce sat up, doing her best to ignore the pain in her ribs and head, and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She gasped as she saw the after effects of the Hatter's beating.<p>

Her face was swollen and bruised, and there was a long line of stitches running across her temple. Her left cheek was one giant, black and purple bruise, and her right eye was swollen shut. She reached up to feel it, only to freeze as she noticed the cast on her broken right hand. Biting back a whimper, Alyce looked down and noticed she had been changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt. She carefully lifted her top, and gasped at the large purple bruises that decorated her stomach.

"Well, look who's up."

Alyce jolted and turned towards the voice, her eyes locking on Kaleb, who was casually lounging in an armchair. Alyce gulped as she tried to bury her fear.

"What do you w-want," she asked, mentally cursing herself for stuttering. Kaleb chuckled.

"Jack asked me to keep an eye on you while he was out," he explained. "He said you would might need help when you woke up. Now I can see why." The March Hare got up and walked over to the injured teen. "He really beat the shit out of you, didn't he?" Alyce tried to shift away from him, squeaking as the pain flared again.

"Well, I'm awake, so you can go away now." She glared weakly at him, though her words were laced with venom more venom than she intended. The Hare raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Well someone's feisty today." He shook his head, snickering. "You're too much like her for your own good."

Alyce looked up in confusion.

"I'm too much like who?" At this, the man looked surprised.

"You don't know," Kaleb said incredulously. "Jack didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? What's going on?" The March Hare cursed under his breath.

"Damn Hatter," he mumbled. His eyes bored into Alyce's. "Jack kidnapped you because you are the spitting image of his former fiancee, Pandora."

Alyce sat there, wide eyed as she tried to process what the man before her just said. A wave of shock went through her as his words sunk in.

"You mean, someone actually _wanted_ to be with _him_?"

Kaleb threw his head back and laughed, and Alyce's face flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, aren't you _full_ of spunk, today. And to answer your question, yes, Pandora wanted to be with Jack very much." Alyce stared up at the March Hare. _How?_ _How could anyone love him_, she thought. _He's so evil and cruel! _Kaleb sighed.

"It was centuries ago, when they first met," he explained, "Long before you were even born. They met at a party Valentina was hosting at her castle. The spark between Jack and Pandora was instantaneous, and they soon became inseparable. They did everything together, and after just six months, they had moved in with each other and Jack proposed. She, of course, said yes. They were so happy that Jack's madness started to fade away. Slowly, mind you, but it was still fading. However, three months after they became engaged, Jack left early one morning before Pandora woke up to take care of some business . I was with him, and it wasn't anything exciting. But when we got back-" Kaleb paused, and took in a shaky breath. "When we got back, Pandora was lying there in front of the staircase, gutted and drenched in blood. Her insides were strewn everywhere, and her eyes-I'll never forget the look in her eyes-were wide open in terror. To this day we don't know who did it. Her death took a great toll on Jack, he was so devastated that he went on a killing spree and massacred thousands of people, Faceless or otherwise. His madness returned full force and has been growing ever since."

Kaleb stopped talking, and Alyce let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The two stayed silent for a long time, until Alyce broke the silence with a question.

"You said," she started, "this all happened centuries ago. How can that even be possible?" The pained look on Kaleb's face vanished, and he smirked. Not the mocking kind of smirk that Alyce had gotten use to seeing, but more of an amused, almost friendly smirk.

"In Wonderland," he began, "once a person stops celebrating their birthday, they stop aging. Most of us have been around for a very long time. Delilah is the only one who still celebrates, since she's only seven. The youngest of us to stop celebrating was Cheshire, who is frozen at twenty." Alyce nodded as if she understood what the Hare was telling her.

"And what about the rest of you? What age are you all frozen at?" Kaleb snickered.

"Well," he answered, "Jack is frozen at twenty-five and I'm twenty-four. Shayde whom I believe you know, is stuck at twenty-seven, though acts like some wise old goat half the time. He's a philosopher, even though he's usually found smoking hookah on a mushroom. William, the White Rabbit, is twenty-three, and Sterling, the Knave of Hearts or the guy with blue hair, is twenty-two, but he's _way_ too serious for his age. And then the _ever so lovely_ Queen of Hearts, Valentina is the oldest of us all, which is thirty, though she adamantly swears she's twenty-one. In case you hadn't noticed when you first met her, she's basically a whore." Alyce snorted. _How could anyone not notice?_Kaleb chuckled too, but before Alyce could ask anymore questions, the lock clicked on the door.

"Ah, that'll be Jack," Kaleb said. "I'll be seeing ya, girly." With that, the March Hare walked over to greet the Mad Hatter as he entered the room, and fear settled in Alyce once more.

She sat still, staring at the two as the conversed quietly. Jack's gaze flickered to her every now and again, causing her to fidget and play with the hem of her t-shirt. They continued their quiet conversation for five minutes, Alyce awkwardly half lying half sitting the entire time, until Jack patted Kaleb on the shoulder, and the March Hare left the room. As the door clicked shut, the Mad Hatter turned to face the teen stranded on the bed. She stared back at him, unwilling to allow him to have the satisfaction of seeing her weak and powerless. Jack said nothing, just smirked as he sauntered over to Alyce. As the Hatter stood before her, her fear of the man took over and she looked down.

Jack stopped when he was standing directly over her, and Alyce fought to keep her breathing steady. He carefully slipped one finger under her chin and pulled her face up to meet his. His brown eyes bore into her icy blue ones as he inspected the cuts and bruises that decorated her face. The Mad Hatter kept his face blank, and Alyce couldn't tell what he was thinking. _Is he still angry? _she asked herself. _Is he going to beat me again?_

She was jolted from her thoughts when the Hatter released her chin, and even more so when he started petting her hair. Her shock must have shone on her face, because the Hatter let out a snicker. He gently pushed out her back down onto the bed, before he turned on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving a confused Alyce behind.

_Well, that was weird._

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><p><strong><em>R&amp;R! Don't forget to submit cover art to me!<em>**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'M BAAAACK~! Who missed me? I apologize for taking so long, I've been busy with publishing matters, as I have mentioned before that this story is going to be published. YAAAAY! Also, I've recently become a major fan of Homestuck, and that's taken up a lot of time as well. I realize that this is not an adequate excuse, but I don't care. I hope you all enjoy this latest installment! **

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><p>The following weeks after the Hatter's befuddling actions flew by with much less excitement, not that Alyce minded. Her injuries healed nicely, and she was now able to move around comfortably without causing herself too much pain. Sophia came in everyday to change bandages, help her bathe and dress, and give her something to eat. The food was different than what she was originally given, as rather than various pastries and cakes to keep her sustained, she was given actual meals, with meat and vegetables and the like. The tea was still consistent, though the flavors varied to all different types; chamomile tea, green tea, Earl Grey tea, etcetera.<p>

Kaleb also came in everyday, along with Jack. Alyce was far from happy about his presence, but tried to ignore the Mad Hatter as best she could in favor of talking with Kaleb. He would tell stories about adventures he and Jack had gone on decades before (though at times Alyce felt as if he was omitting certain details) and occasionally he would mention Pandora. Jack almost never said anything, just sat there while she and Kaleb talked. Occasionally, he would say the March Hare's name in a warning tone when he approached certain topics, and Kaleb would stop talking immediately. Other times, Kaleb would tell a funny story, and Jack would join in with the Hare's laughter, smiling fondly in remembrance of his lost love. It had become routine for Alyce, and she began to look forward to when Kaleb would come to talk to her. Despite his initial brutality, he turned out to be a very sweet person.

Still, the Mad Hatter made sure that Alyce had been kept under lock and key. He had removed the collar and chain shortly after his attack on her, but he kept the door locked at all times, even when he and the March Hare were in the room. Sophia had a spare so she could bring Alyce food and such, but the mute maid seemed significantly more nervous. She could only guess that Jack had threatened the poor woman with something horrible if she were to ever become lax in locking the door.

It is for this reason that Alyce was very confused when she woke one morning to find the door to her bedroom wide open.

She stared at the open doorway from her place on the bed, unsure what to do. Her wounds had healed well enough that she could move about with minimal discomfort, and she was desperate to explore. After all, no matter how much better their treatment of her had gotten, she had spent a long time in the room and longed to stretch her legs. However, the memory of the Hatter's beating was still fresh in her mind, and kept her frozen on the spot.

She battled with herself, wanting to explore but unwilling to face the crazed Hatter's wrath. She sat there for several minutes, until, eventually, her curiosity got the better of her.

Slowly, Alyce stood, careful not to aggravate some of her still healing wounds, and made her way towards the door. She peered out of the doorway, making sure that no one was watching her. Satisfied that she was alone, Alyce turned to the right and ventured into the hall, unsure of where she was going. The hallway had a slight curve to it, and several doors lined the walls. Strange and frightening noises came from behind them. Alyce hurried her pace, the endless corridor stretching on and on, until she came to a break in the wall. However, instead of another hallway, there was a rather large and ornate staircase. Tentatively, she peered down the stairs, a found what she assumed to be the grand foyer. She quietly snuck down the grand staircase, desperate not to alert anyone to her presence, for she had a feeling that if she was caught no one would hesitate to turn her over to Jack. As she made it to the bottom, Alyce once again looked around to make sure that she was alone. There was another corridor on either side of her, but rather than going on endlessly, the stopped rather abruptly. There was no door where they ended, just empty walls.

Alyce turned her attention to what was in front of her. Standing before the teen was a very large, very ornate wooden door. It seemed out of place when compared to the blank white walls and black and white checkered floors. Slowly, Alyce made her way towards the door, her bare feet making no noise as she carefully made her way across the icy floor. She wrapped her hands around one of the iron handles, and pulled at the door hard. The poor teenager almost flew backwards, stunned that not only was the door unlocked, but by how light it was.

Alyce peered out, shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight that she hadn't seen in a long time. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the harsh light of the sun, and took in the beautiful Wonderland scenery before her. The sunlight warmed her face as she practically ran out of the Hatter's mansion, unaware of the Mad Hatter's servants watching her from one of the front gardens.

Alyce ran through the forest, laughing with glee at her first taste of freedom in weeks. Her bare feet pounded against the ground as she ran with ear-to-ear grin on her face and uncontrollable giggles bubbled past her lips. _Now if only I could find a way back home_.

When she was a good distance away from the dreaded mansion, Alyce slowed to a leisurely pace and took in her surroundings. She wandered about in amazement amongst the multicolored trees and giant mushroom stools. The landscape was different from when she saw it outside the Hatter's office window. This time the sun was out, and the brilliant colors that glowed in the moonlight were intensified tenfold, creating a sea of brilliant blues and purples and pinks and yellows above her.

Alyce continued her exploration of the Wonderland forest, trapped in a constant state of awe as she took in the otherworldly glory of her surroundings. She sighed, content for the first time in what felt like years. Then her calm was shattered by the thunder of a gunshot. Alyce stood rooted to the ground as three more shots rang out, each one louder and closer than the last. The all too familiar sensation of fear paralyzed every cell in her body. Her breathing was rapid as a million different scenarios danced through her mind, each more horrifying than the last and all ending with her death.

After several minutes of silence, Alyce felt the fear lessen, and regained control of herself. In the dead silence, the teen took a small step forward. Then another. Then several more till she found herself moving towards the previous sound of the gunshots with a will that was not her own. She couldn't turn back even if she wanted to. _This has to be the stupidest thing I have ever done!_

Slowly, Alyce continued forward, quiet as a mouse. She flinched when her foot landed on a small twig and broke it with an audible 'snap'. This caused her to hesitate briefly before continuing quietly towards where the gunshots had been. She froze again when she heard the frighteningly familiar voice of the Mad Hatter. Alyce felt her heart race. She was too far away to make out the words, but the threatening tone did not go by unnoticed. The teen carefully crept forward, desperate not to make the slightest sound as she attempted to spy on her captor. She appeared in front of some thick bushes, which concealed the Hatter from her vision. She reached a hand out to pull the leaves gently away, but froze as she could finally make out Jack's words.

"Pathetic," he sneered, "Truly and utterly pathetic. You think you can start a rebellion against _me_?! Please! The thought that someone as pathetically _weak_ as you taking down someone like _me _is simply laughable." Alyce could practically hear the Hatter's lip curl up in disgust. Silently, Alyce parted the leaves in front of her, hoping to get a good view of the Mad Hatter. She immediately wished she hadn't.

The Hatter's faced away from her, making it impossible to see the man's face, but Alyce didn't find that particularly troubling. No, what the poor teenager found disturbing was the man in front of Jack, currently bleeding out on the ground before him. Blood gushed from his head, flowing like a river, and his entire body looked broken. The bone in his leg was snapped in half, and the top portion was sticking out drastically. It was the same for his bones in his right arm and three ribs on his left side. To make matters worse, the man's stomach had been cut open, his intestines spewing from his gut in a grotesque manner. It was obvious that the man had been tortured before Jack shot him. At least, Alyce _assumed_ Jack shot the man if the smoking machine gun he was holding was any indication. But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was the fact that the man had no face.

Alyce let out a horrified gasp, her heart rate skyrocketing in fear and disgust of the scene before her, trying with all her might to keep from retching and stopping the bile in her throat from going any further. _Is this one of the 'faceless' Jack and the others were talking about?_

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!"

Alyce let out a frightened yelp, not realizing her gasp had alerted the Hatter to her presence. He turned towards her, his face contorted into a raging fury that could quite possibly kill a man with the fear it invoked. Unfortunately, Alyce had no time to dwell on her captor's facial expression as she turned to bolt in the other direction, all too aware of the Mad Hatter following her.

She was once again running through the brilliance of Wonderland's forest, but this time it wasn't with glee. It was fear for her life.

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><p><strong>REVIEW! I LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**I AM NOT DEAD! I have been working my ass off trying to finish this story! I am currently writing chapter 14 while I wait for 13 to be edited! I want you all to know, Alyce is officially ending with chapter 14! That is, unfortunately, all I have time for. But it will be one hell of an ending. Wait, why am telling you this? I highly doubt anyone is even reading this. Ah well. ON WITH THE SHOW! **

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><p>She had been running for hours, too afraid to look back to see if the Mad Hatter was still behind her. The sun had set long before, and all of Wonderland was enveloped in darkness. It had started raining; a massive thunder storm had rolled in and the torrential rains soaked the poor girl to the bone. Despite the protest of her muscles, she refused to stop running. And she didn't, until she tripped on a tree roots and was sent barreling down a hill.<p>

Alyce cried out as she fell, feeling thorns and rocks scrape her skin as she plunged down the hill. A sharp, sickening crack filled the air as she landed with a thud, and Alyce screamed in pain as she felt the bones in her right arm and already broken hand snap.

She lay at the base of the hill for what felt like hours (though it was only a few minutes) writhing in agony as pain washed over her like a tidal wave. The rain pelted down on her as Alyce weakly lifted her head and clutched her broken arm to her chest, looking for the crazed hatter following her. When she saw nothing, Alyce attempted to rise to her feet. She let out a harsh cry as she fell right back down. The adrenaline had worn off and exhaustion kept her from going anywhere. The teen screamed in pain, frustration, and misery as she lay on the ground helpless, unable to protect herself from the torrential rain or crazed hatter who was surely still looking for her. She was amazed she had gotten as far as she had.

"Well, well. What have we here?"

Alyce's head snapped upwards. Through tearful blue eyes she met the mismatched gold and green of the Cheshire Cat. She mustered a weak glare at the troublesome cat-man.

"W-what the hell do you w-want?" Alyce cursed herself for stuttering, but did not look away from Cheshire. He smirked at the helpless teen.

"My, my," he started, "what an attitude for such a tiny little thing. Where was all this spunk when we first met?" Alyce glared harder, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a response. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

Cheshire jumped down from the yellow tree he was perched in, and landed in a mud puddle a few feet from Alyce with a wet thump. He grabbed the girl by the collar of her nightgown and lifted her from the ground. He heaved the teen up to look her dead in the eye.

"Or maybe," he said, "we're just trying to be a little brave, huh?" Without warning, the Cheshire Cat threw her, catapulting her several feet and into the side of a boulder. She cried out in pain as her back hit the rock, and slumped to the ground like a rag doll. Alyce looked up to see Cheshire stalking towards her, and scrambled to her feet. Unfortunately, the new wave of adrenaline coursing through wasn't enough to make her legs work, and she fell right back to the ground once more. She turned back to face the cat-person, only to find him gone. Alyce yelped when a hand fisted the back of her nightgown, and hoisted her into the air and over the Cheshire Cat's shoulder.

"H-hey! What the hell?! P-put me down you stupid cat!" Alyce thrashed and struggled in the Cheshire Cat's hold, but it was all in vain. Even if she was to get loose, she wouldn't be able to run away. _Stupid Hatter_, she thought, _stupid cat, stupid Wonderland. Stupid stupid stupid! I should have just stayed in that stupid mansion!_ She continued to fight against Cheshire, unwilling to give in.

"Calm down, sweetheart," Cheshire sneered, "it's not like you're getting loose. Besides, I have to take you back to the damn Hatter."

"What?! Y-you can't take me back there! Are you insane? He'll kill me!"

"He won't kill you," Cheshire explained, somewhat exasperated. "He may rough you up a bit, but he certainly won't kill. Not after all the trouble he went through to get you here."

"Rough me up a bit?! Is that what you think he'll do? He'll beat the crap out of me till I'm practically dead! You can't take me back there! You ca- AACK!"

Fed up with the screaming teen's antics, Cheshire dropped the girl to the muddy ground, causing Alyce to land painfully on her behind and jostling her arm in the process. Alyce looked up, furious, but froze when she saw the expression on the cat man's face. _Shit, he looks as terrifying as the Hatter_. Rain continued to pelt down on the pair, though Cheshire seemed unfazed by it. He glared harshly at Alyce, who was now shaking on the ground, though she couldn't tell if it was from the cold or fear.

"Listen up, sweetheart," Cheshire sneered, "I don't have time for your God damn nonsense at the moment, and whether you like it or not you're going back, and you wanna know why?" Cheshire pointed at the tattoo on the girls face. "That's why. That damn mark not only means that you belong to Jack, but that anyone who finds you where you aren't supposed to be is obligated to return you to the Mad Hatter. So, by Wonderland Law, I have to return you to the that asshole, whether you want to go or not. So shut up and quit being difficult."

Without giving Alyce a chance for rebuttal, Cheshire lifted the girl from the ground and threw her over his shoulder once more. Alyce started to scream and shout until a growl from Cheshire gave her pause. She remained quiet for the rest of the trip, cradling her broken arm the whole way.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

By the time the two had reached the mansion, it had stopped raining, and only a dull rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. Alyce tried to look over her shoulder, but winced and stopped when she felt the pain in her new wounds flare up. She whimpered as Cheshire walked up the steps of the mansion and banged on the front door.

Alyce held her breath as the door was pulled open, revealing a very angry Mad Hatter. Of course, this didn't stop Cheshire from antagonizing him.

"Lose something, Jack?"

"Cheshire," the Hatter said, "how...kind of you to return her to me." Alyce winced at his tone of voice, and forced down a whimper. "Now if you don't mind, I think I'll just take her and you can be on your way." Jack reached to take Alyce from Cheshire, but the cat-man backed away, a mischievous smile on his face.

"Now just hold on a moment, Mr. Hatter. Don't you think deserve some kind of reward for bringing her back? After all, the poor thing was just covered in cuts and scrapes when I found her, and I do believe she broke something." Alyce didn't have to turn around to see the seething rage on the Hatter's face. He was practically projecting it.

"Listen here, you stupid cat. You have exactly five seconds to hand Alyce over or I swear I will skin you alive and use your sorry pelt as a rug. Hand. Her. Over." Immediately Alyce was dumped onto the ground once more, letting out a pained shriek as she landed on her broken arm and hand. She looked up at Cheshire, but the purple-haired man was already gone.

Slowly, Alyce turned towards the Hatter, secretly hoping that he had pulled the same disappearing act as Cheshire. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't. She shrank away as her pain filled eyes met the all too familiar rage filled ones of the Hatter.

"Now," he said, barely hiding his anger, "what do we do with you?" Alyce gulped. There was no smile on his face this time, no maniacal laughter. Just pure fury. The Mad Hatter grabbed Alyce by the back of her night dress, and scooped her into his arms, bridal style. Without another word, he brought the shivering and wounded girl into the mansion, kicking the heavy wooden doors shut with his foot. He carried the girl all the way back to her room, his footsteps echoing throughout the building.

The door to her room was still wide open, and Jack walked into the room without pause and placed Alyce on the bed. He glared down at the teen for a moment, before turning on his heel and striding out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Alyce lay on the bed, propped up on her elbow and still holding her arm, staring at the door in shock. She thought for sure he would at least pull her hair again. _He didn't even shout, _she thought. She lay there for another moment, before the door opened once more. She prepared herself for a confrontation with Jack, but was surprised to see Kaleb, Delilah, and Sophia.

One look at the girl and the three rushed over to her, eager to help in anyway possible. Kaleb quickly scooped Alyce up and carried her to the bathroom, where Sophia quickly took over, shooing the March Hare out of the bathroom. Once they were alone she turned to Alyce with worried eyes and proceeded to examine her. In the span of half an hour, Alyce had taken a bath, had her wounds cleaned and bandaged, had been dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants, and was placed back in bed while they waited for the doctor, who Kaleb said was on his way. They all sat there, waiting in an awkward and tense silence.

"Just out of curiosity, what the hell were you thinking?" Okay, less silent.

Alyce looked over to Kaleb, whose floppy ears were twitching as he trained his eyes on her. She shifted into a slightly more comfortable position and looked Kaleb in the eye.

"The door was open," she explained. During their talks Alyce had gotten very comfortable with Kaleb, and soon stopped stuttering when she talked to him. "Wide open. No one was around, so I thought I'd just look around. Then I came across that big staircase, and saw the front door. I didn't think it would be unlocked, and even then I thought for sure someone would stop me. But it was, and no one did. So I ran. Right into Jack. And then Cheshire, and now I'm here." She lay there quietly, waiting for a response.

"Are you an idiot? What in God's name possessed you to believe that was a good idea. And running from Jack? Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'don't poke the bear,'? In all the time you've spent here, that was by far the stupidest thing you could have ever done!"

Before Alyce could respond, Shayde walked in, a serious look on his face. He looked at Kaleb, then Alyce, noticing the agitated looks on both their faces.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No," the March Hare responded, "not at all. We need you to patch her up again."

"I know," Shayde said, "the Hatter explained everything when I arrived. He seemed quite angry." Alyce looked down, feeling singled out by the monotone comment. She grimaced as the pain in her arm flared. Kaleb and Shayde continued talking.

"No shit, Shayde. Of course he's mad. You know how he get's when things don't go his way."

"True."

Alyce sat quietly, forcing whimpers down as the pain in her arm grew. _My God_, she thought, _are they ever gonna shut up?I guess my arm is doomed to remain broken. _Alyce continued to think to herself, until Shayde cleared his throat and brought her back to reality.

"Now, let's see what I can do for your arm."

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><p><strong>Read and review, lovelies! <strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**WHHOOO! CHAPTER 13 IS HERE! REJOICE! This is the second to last chapter to this story, and I want you all to know that I have loved writing this story and getting feed back from all of you! It's time to start mentally preparing yourself for the end, because it's coming. **

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><p>Shayde had done good work on fixing Alyce's arm. It was now covered in a bright yellow cast that, in Alyce's opinion, almost cruelly contrasted with the whole atmosphere of Wonderland. He had also given her some kind of drug for the pain, which made everything around her seem rather dream like (though she distinctly remembered Kaleb yelling at Shayde over "hookah" or whatever). The night had ended uneventfully, with Alyce drugged, Sophia trying to feed her, and Kaleb playing with a half unconscious Delilah.<p>

The next morning was a tad more...excitable.

As Alyce slowly opened her eyes, moving carefully into a sitting position as not to aggravate her wounds or broken arm. That failed miserably, and Ayce hissed in pain as she felt sharp pain in her arm and a strong throbbing in several of her lacerations. In her momentary pain induced pain, she failed to notice the Mad Hatter sitting in the armchair in the corner with his trademark top hat in his lap.

"Something the matter, my dear?"

Alyce's head whipped towards the chair, regretting the action as soon as she did it. She brought her good hand up to her head, willing the blossoming headache to go away.

"W-what do y-you want?" For once, her stuttering had nothing to do with fear, but pain. Jack smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I simply came to see how everyone's favorite runaway is faring after recent...events." Alyce glared.

"Well I'm fine, so you can go," she snapped. Jack clenched his fists.

"Actually," he started, "I can't. See, I believe I specifically told you _not_ to leave the property unless you had _my _permission and _someone_ was with you." He was standing, and leisurely strode towards Alyce. "Which means, dear Alyce, that you broke the rules I so _carefully_ explained to you earlier. And I do _hate_ when people don't listen." Against all better judgment telling her to remain silent, Alyce snapped at Jack.

"Well it's not _my _fault someone forgot to close and lock the door. After, what's a girl supposed to think when her bedroom door is wide open? It was practically an _invitation_ to leave." She had managed to push herself up into a sitting position. "Besides, I was going stir crazy in this room. I just _had_ to leave. How could anyone expect otherwise?" She was smiling now as she spoke with a tone of false innocence. The Hatter was less than amused.

"Really? Is that so?" The Hatter's smirk grew into a terrifying, manic grin. "That's funny, because last I knew, I was in charge, and that means that you have to listen to me. And you'd been doing so _well_ too. Such shame you had to go and throw it all away." He was hovering over the girl, his presence ominous and powerful. His crimson hair hung in his eyes, masking their crazed depths from the girl sitting on the bed before him. Alyce did everything she could to hide her apprehension.

"You don't own me."

The Hatter chuckled.

"I believe that mark on your face says otherwise," he responded. Her eyes narrowed.

"You think you can control me because you tattoed my face?" For once, it was Alyce who snickered. "You're delusional."

His hand shot out so fast that Alyce had no time to react. He harshly gripped the girl's chin, his smile impossibly wide as he stared her down.

"I guess someone forgot to teach poor little Alyce some manners."

"Bite me."

She really should have seen it coming. Her eyes widened as her head whipped to the side, pain blossoming in her cheek from where the Hatter's hand connected with it. She sat there, frozen as her mind attempted to catch up with what just happened. Slowly, she turned back to the Mad Hatter, her rage boiling over.

"You sick bastard," she said, "you think you can hit me and I'll just do as you say?" Jack chuckled.

"It's worked in the past, my dear."

"Not anymore, you insane freak! You can't tell me what to do and you can't control me! You have absolutely no-"

"This conversation is starting to sound familiar," the Hatter interrupted. Alyce glared hard at Jack, her fury exploding inside her.

"I hate you, you stupid hatter! You can't keep me here! Why the hell won't you let me go HOME!?"

"Because I already lost you once and I am not willing to do so again!"

Silence. There was nothing but silence as the Mad Hatter's words rang in Alyce's ears. The tension had grown to an almost unbearable level as the two stared at one another. For the longest time neither of them said anything, until Alyce decided to break the deafening silence.

"Well," she said quietly, "I never really meant to leave, ya know. I was just excited and-"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

_Of course I know_, she thought solemnly. Alyce ducked her head, unwilling to look at the Hatter's face any longer. The fight left her, guilt and pity taking over. For all the horrible things the Mad Hatter had done to her, she knew the pain of the pain he felt when he lost Pandora, and that he only wanted her back.

"I'm not her," Alyce whispered," You know I'm not her." The Hatter gave a soft smile, and a small hope bloomed within the teen that she had actually gotten through to him.

"We can fix that." Well, so much for that hope. Alyce scowled at Jack, who turned away from the girl and started back towards the arm chair.

"Are you serious,"she cried, "You're mad! You can't 'fix' a person! God, what's the matter with you? And just when I started to feel bad for you, too!" Jack chuckled, but otherwise ignored her in favor of retrieving his top hat from the chair. She got off the bed, fully intent on following the Mad Hatter about the room and screaming at him. He had other plans.

Before Alyce had taken two steps the Hatter had scooped the girl into his arms and swiftly placed her back on the bed.

"Now, now," he chastised, "let's not over exert ourselves. No need to reopen any wounds or break anymore bones." His manic smiled had returned, and he grinned brightly at the girl as if he was the happiest man in the world. Alyce was less enthused. _Is he joking? This man's moods change so rapidly it gives a person whiplash. _The Hatter sat on the bed next to the girl, and casually placed his arm around her. He place a kiss on the top of her head, then donned his top hat and strode (practically skipped) out of the room, leaving behind a very confused and somewhat agitated Alyce. _What. The. Hell. _This was all far as Alyce could get before all living hell broke loose.

Without warning, a massive explosion went off, blowing apart half the mansion (the half Alyce wasn't in) and shaking the other half to its core. Screams echoed above the chaos, and the Mad Hatter and March Hare could be heard shouting orders. But before Alyce had even a hope of reacting, a chloroform covered rag was held to her face, and Alyce promptly lost all consciousness.

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><p><strong>READ AND REVIEW!<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**And here it is. The very last chapter to Alyce. I am really gong to miss all of you, and look forward to hearing your feedback. Thank you all so much for supporting me. Now, prepare yourselves, because this is where it all goes to hell :o) God Speed, my friends.**

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><p>Drip. Drip. Drip.<p>

It was the only constant thing Alyce heard anymore. Just a constant dripping as she remained chained up in the Queen of Heart's dungeon.

Alyce whimpered as the heavy metal door opened, casting a harsh light into the dark, damp prison. She immediately recognized Valentina, with her long pink hair and revealing red and black dress. She strode over to the teen, her metallic pink eyes practically glowed with menace as an (extremely fake) innocent smile played on her lips. Alyce lowered her head, mentally preparing herself for the next round of torture. The Queen of Hearts stood before the beaten girl. She, ever so gently, placed her index finger under the girl's chin and raised Alyce's head till their eyes met.

"What's the matter, dearie," she asked, her tone sickeningly sweet. "You look positively dreadful!" She removed her hand and watched Alyce's head fall back down.

Alyce let out a yelp as Valentina backhanded her and grunted as she was punched in the head. Blood flowed from an older wound, and she heard the Queen laugh. Alyce had no idea how long she'd been there, months at the very least. She had long given up on the hope that someone would save her.

When Alyce had first woken up, she was confident that the Queen of Hearts couldn't possibly be worse than the Mad Hatter. She was horribly, horribly wrong. Valentina was not afraid to use torture devices, like whips, chains, and knives. Alyce was thoroughly covered in cuts, sores and bruises. Some old, some new. The first thing Valentina ever did to her, however, was slash the mark on Alyce's cheek several times, destroying the image of the tattoo.

As Alyce became lost in her mind, she failed to see the scowl that formed on Valentina's face. The Queen wrapped her hand in the teen's umber hair and yanked her head back harshly. The teen screamed in pain and tears streamed down her face. She had stopped trying to be brave, for there was no one left to fight against.

"You stupid brat! You should pay attention when your betters are addressing you! At least, after today, you won't be a problem any longer." Alyce whimpered, looking at the Queen of Hearts in confusion and intense fear. Valentina smirked, and dragged Alyce to her feet and over to the heavy metal door. She hadn't noticed the chains had been removed from her wrists. She roughly pulled Alyce from the cellar and up a flight of stairs, ignoring the pained cries from the girl.

The Queen of Hearts brought Alyce into a large courtyard, the sunlight burning the poor girl's eyes from lack of exposure. She was barely given time to adjust to the harsh light before Valentina threw the girl into a stone block centered in the courtyard. Alyce yelped as her back connected with the stone.

"Shut up," Valentina snapped. The pink haired woman walked over to a set of large wooden doors. "God, you are just as irritating as she was. I can't believe I have to go through _all_ of this again." Alyce looked over towards the psychotic queen.

"What are you talking about?"

The Queen paused, and turned to face the teen.

"You haven't figured it out yet, you stupid girl? I'm going to kill you, just like I did with that stupid fiancée of the Mad Hatter's. Honestly, you may look like her but she was _loads_ smarter than you are." Valentina turned away from the teen and threw the large wooden doors open. It was too dark to see into. The Queen of Hearts disappeared inside.

"You killed her," Alyce asked, bewildered. It hadn't registered that she too would die at the hands of this crazy bitch. "Why would you kill her?"

"Oh for the love of God!" Apparently Valentina wasn't in the mood for a questioning teenager. "You really are dense. I killed her so I could have Jack all to myself! It was working too! The Hatter would come to me and we were going to be together forever and rule Wonderland! But then he found you, and everything went to hell!"

Valentina walked out of the doors, holding a giant axe in her hands. Alyce gulped, and tried to back away from the fast approaching queen. She screamed when two strong hands gripped her upper arms and brought her to a stand. Alyce screamed and cried as she was bent over the stone slab, struggling as best she could to get away.

"Now, now, honey," Valentina soothed, "it won't hurt too much. Why it'll be over before you know it." Alyce cried harder as she felt a needle insert itself into her arm. Her limbs grew heavy, and within minutes she couldn't move. "There, now. Isn't that better? Now, let's get this over with before the medicine knocks you out."

Valentina focused her metallic eyes on the girl below her. She was still crying and screaming, but she was no longer moving. The Queen snickered and bent down to whisper in Alyce's ear.

"Off with your head."

Alyce shrieked just as a gunshot went off. Something warm and sticky splattered on the side of Alyce's face and the Queen of Hearts flew away from her.

"I told you I should have just killed her when we first met her, Jack!"

"I really don't think that's important right now, Kaleb!"

_Jack? _Alyce thought. _Oh my God! Jack! And Kaleb! They found me! _Alyce tried to call out to them, only to realize that the drug had spread further through her system and she started to feel drowsy.

The first thing Alyce registered was a constant, steady beeping that was quickly irritating the girl. It continued on and on, pulling Alyce further and further from her comforting, numbing sleep.

The second thing was the dull murmuring that was barely heard over the incessant beeping.

Alyce whined, fully conscious and quite unhappy about it. She opened her eyes, only to shut them fast as she was blinded by a bright, white light. Her head was throbbing, and the frantic woman that was now crying wasn't helping.

"Alyce! Alyce oh my goodness honey, are you awake? Oh, sweetie please wake up!" Alyce shifted towards the familiar sound of her mother, still unwilling to face the blinding light.

"Mom," Alyce whimpered, her voice unusually raspy. "Where am I? What's going on?" The beeping started to go faster. She tried opening her eyes again, this time proving to be successful. Alyce was greeted with the sight of two very worried parents. Her mother had tears running down her face and her father looked as if he would join in at any moment. Her mother breathed a sigh of relief as Alyce opened her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie," her mother cried, "thank goodness you're okay. The doctor said he didn't know when you'd wake up!" _Doctor? What doctor? What the hell is going on? _Alyce's father must have seen the confusion written on his daughter's face, and decided to speak up.

"Alyce, honey," he said slowly, as if not to startle her. "Do you remember anything about how you got here? Anything at all?" Alyce shook her head, anxiety growing in the pit of her stomach. Her father opened his mouth to explain, but was swiftly cut off by her frantic mother.

"Oh it's just awful! Apparently, in the middle of the night, you started sleepwalking. Sleepwalking! You've never done that in your life! Anyway, you walked right out of the house, and made it all the way into the city! The police say you must have wandered down some alley and that you were attacked! But no one saw anything, and doctors say that you never woke up! Can you imagine that? Being attacked and not even being awake for it! Why what is the world coming to where..." This continued for another forty-five minutes.

Alyce tuned her mother out, and tried to make sense of events that seemed impossible to comprehend. _How did I get here? What happened to Wonderland? The Hatter?_ Alyce vaguely heard her mother pause, and used it to her advantage.

"How long have I been here?"Her father smiled sadly.

"Not long," he said, "no more than three days, really. The doctor was surprised at how well you were doing considering your injuries."

Shock crossed the teen's face. _Three days?! That's it? But I was in Wonderland for months! How is this even possible?! Did any of it...even happen? _Alyce was pulled abruptly from her thoughts when her father's concerned voice reached her ears.

"Sorry, Dad, what did you say?" Her father looked extremely worried.

"I asked you if something was wrong. You looked really upset there, hon." Her mother looked at her husband incredulously.

"Well of _course_ she's really upset, Howard! Our poor baby's just found out that she's been attacked and has been unconscious for three days! How did you want her to react?"

"Now, Lucy, you know that's not what I meant-"

"Well what did you mean?!"

As her parents bickered, a nurse came into the room, briefly stopping to observe the quarreling couple before walking over to Alyce. She reminded Alyce of someone. The nurse carefully bent down next to Alyce, and placed a very familiar black rabbit plush in her arms. She looked back to the nurse, her anxiety increasing rapidly, when it hit her. _Sophia! _Sophia smiled, and put her finger to her lips, silently telling the girl to be quiet. She stood, and walked right out of the room, pausing at the door to look back and smile at the teen one last time. Then, she was gone. Her parents never even noticed.

Alyce looked down at the familiar stuffed rabbit that she found in her kitchen all that time ago. Once again, it was holding something, only this time it wasn't a golden pocket watch. It was a playing card. She carefully plucked the card from the stuffed rabbits grasp and examined it. It was and Ace of Spades, with a very distinguishably spade. It even had the 'MH' in the center of it. Alyce flipped the card over, and her breath caught in her throat. On the back was a message written in black ink.

I'll be back, my dear.

-MH

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks again everyone! I hope to see you all soon with some other piece of fiction! Until then!<strong>

**~Rachel**


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